A Life in Balance?

Magazine articles, talk shows, and commercials advise us that our happiness and well-being rest on striking a balance between work and family. It goes unsaid, however, that the advice is based on an outmoded and unrealistic ideal.

This volume reopens the work-life balance debate. Contributors argue that to truly resolve work-family issues, we must recognize work and family life as overlapping aspects of a single existence, rather than separate and competing spheres. A Life in Balance? transcends prevailing myths by revealing how paid work (employment) and unpaid work (caregiving and housework) continue to be set against each other, particularly in support of neo-liberal agendas. A truly equitable national childcare policy must be informed by alternative approaches to integrating family and paid work, such as stay-at-home fathers, family policy in Quebec, and work and care in Aboriginal communities.